Still Life
Commencement across Penn State: Spring 2012
Spring commencement 2012 under way
Penn State, Moroccan students problem-solve together
Finals Week Spring Semester 2012
Children explore career options at University Park
Painting the Lines at Beaver Stadium
Did They Get It Right? - RedTails
Iconic Penn State elm taken down over spring break 2012
We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)
Disease stricken matching elm tree slated for removal
Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone
Not all wines are created equal; neither are all wine tasters. A wine expert's acute sense of taste may mean that expert ratings and recommendations are irrelevant to wine consumers who were not born with the ability to discern small differences in a broad range of tastes, according to a team of international researchers. "What we found is that the fundamental taste ability of an expert is different," said John Hayes, assistant professor, food science, and director of Penn State's sensory evaluation center. (more)
Research Unplugged, the popular Penn State speaker series that brings University researchers into the community for lively public discussions, launches its spring season on March 15. The series begins its eighth year on a new time and day -- 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Thursdays -- and in a new location -- Schlow Centre Region Library's Downsbrough Community Room, downtown State College, Pa. Schlow Library joins Penn State's Office of the Vice President for Research and Office of University Relations as a partner in the Research Unplugged series. The events are free and open to all, with complimentary light refreshments. (more)
Over-reliance on glyphosate-type herbicides for weed control on U.S. farms has created a dramatic increase in the number of genetically-resistant weeds, according to a team of agricultural researchers, who say the solution lies in an integrated weed management program. "I'm deeply concerned when I see figures that herbicide use could double in the next decade," said David Mortensen, professor of weed ecology at Penn State. Since the mid-1990s, agricultural seed companies developed and marketed seeds that were genetically modified to resist herbicides such as Roundup -- glyphosate -- as a more flexible way to manage weeds, Mortensen said. About 95 percent of the current soybean crop is modified by inserting herbicide-resistant genes into the plants. (more)
Children of deployed U.S. military members face a number of stressful issues, and teachers in Pennsylvania's schools often need to lend special support to those children and their families. Penn State and Operation: Military Kids provide teachers and others who work with military families with the training they need to address these unique challenges. Learn how Penn State is guiding teachers as they help children cope on the home front. Penn State for PA (PSU4PA) tells the stories of Pennsylvania residents whose businesses and communities have been transformed by Penn State teaching, research and service. (more)
Penn State scientists in the College of Agricultural Sciences have developed an inspiring collaboration that may cure leukemia. Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences, specializes in the health benefits of fish oil. Robert Paulson, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, is studying the stem cells that cause leukemia. They connected their seemingly separate study areas during a weekly faculty lunch. The result? A possible cure for leukemia. To watch the video about their inspiring collaboration, visit http://live.psu.edu/youtube/r-1VmeJAtWI online. To read more about their collaborative work, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/56944 online. (more)
"Economically, farming has always been difficult, and we need to be moving forward if we're going to stay here and keep doing the work that we love," says Brad Hollabaugh, business manager of the family-owned Hollabaugh Brothers, Inc. Fruit Farm & Market in Biglerville, Pa. Penn State helps Pennsylvania farmers do just that, with research and advice from many different areas. Learn how Penn State research and consulting help local farmers improve every aspect of their businesses. Penn State for PA (PSU4PA) tells the stories of Pennsylvania residents whose businesses and communities have been transformed by Penn State teaching, research and service. (more)
Eight Penn State faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The Fellows are Consuelo M. De Moraes, professor of entomology; Jainendra K. Jain, Erwin W. Mueller Professor of Physics; John A. Kelmelis, professor of international affairs; Judith Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Linguistics, and Women's Studies and director of the Center for Language Science; Beverly Lindsay, professor of education, higher education and comparative and international education; Steven J. Schiff, director, Penn State Center for Neural Engineering, Brush Chair Professor of Engineering, professor of neurosurgery, engineering science and mechanics, and physics; Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics and materials science and engineering; and Darrell Velegol, professor of chemical engineering. (more)
A compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease, according to Penn State researchers. The compound -- delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 -- targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The compound is produced from EPA -- Eicosapentaenoic Acid -- an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, he said. (more)
Green tea may slow down weight gain and serve as another tool in the fight against obesity, according to Penn State food scientists. Obese mice that were fed a compound found in green tea along with a high-fat diet gained weight significantly more slowly than a control group of mice that did not receive the green tea supplement, said Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences. In addition to lower weight gain, the mice fed the green tea supplement showed a nearly 30 percent increase in fecal lipids, suggesting that the EGCG was limiting fat absorption, according to Lambert. (more)
A science- and energy-based program focusing on Pennsylvania counties with natural gas exploration and production, and developed by a multidisciplinary team of Penn State researchers, is part of a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). (more)
